House members question DHS on detainee releases

Nearly 40 members of the House of Representatives are demanding answers regarding the release of hundreds of unauthorized immigrant detainees in recent weeks by the Department of Homeland Security.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, is one of the leaders of the effort, and co-signor of the letter sent to DHS, to quantify how many detainees were released, who decided to release them, where they were released from, future release plans and criteria used to determine who was released.

The letter sent Monday to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said:

“Your agency’s decision to release “low-risk” illegal immigrants back into the public under the guise of saving money is extraordinary, unprecedented and dangerous. We understand that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), like all federal agencies, must find cost savings in order to comply with their new budget allocation. However it is frankly irresponsible that your agency chose releasing detained immigrants as its first effort to control spending.

“The inability of DHS to prioritize resources for potential cuts suggests this decision was either politically motivated to further the Administration’s amnesty goals or, at best, demonstrates agency incompetence.”

Document

The letter stresses public safety concerns and refers to local media reports across the country about releases that involved detainees who had been convicted of crimes.

The House Appropriations Committee is expected to question ICE officials during a Thursday hearing on immigration enforcement about the releases and sequestration. Watch it live at 10 a.m. est (or 7 a.m. pacific): HERE.

In response to queries about the releases two weeks ago, ICE released the following statement:

“In order to make the best use of our limited detention resources in the current fiscal climate and to manage our detention population under current congressionally mandated levels, ICE has directed field offices to review the detained population to ensure it is in line with available funding. As a result of this review, a number of detained aliens have been released around the country and placed on an appropriate, more cost-effective form of supervised release. ICE is continuing to prosecute their cases in immigration court, and when ordered, will seek their removal from the country.”